Despite being a good aircraft, the Ro.41 showed inferiority in all its performances, if compared with the contemporary C.R. 32. Thats why it saw only sporadic combat use: in Spain, where in 1939 the survived machines remained in service  as trainers - in Francos Air Force; and over the airports in Tobruk area, for some protection cruises during the Summer 1940. In Italy all its operative career was then as fighter trainer also in a two seats version; and  after the September 43 Italian armistice  also in the Luftwaffe. A curiosity: because of its general, superficial resemblance with the Polikarpov I-15, some Ro.41 had been used in the role of Republican fighters, in propaganda movies shot for the Italian Fascist dictatorship during the Spanish Civil War.